Nokia Lumia 635: What You Get on the Cheap

Priced to move, the Windows Phone-powered Nokia Lumia 635 is coming to T-Mobile and Metro PCS in early July. The smartphone is the follow-up to the successful Lumia 521 and is the first handset to come pre-loaded with Windows Phone 8.1.

The device will be available starting July 5 through the Home Shopping Network for $0 down and $7 per month for 24 months ($168 total) before being sold at T-mobile.com July 9. Metro PCS, which was acquired by T-Mobile in May, will also have a $99 promotional price for the Lumia 635 starting July 18 at retail stores and the Metro PCS website.

The 635 features 4G LTE support, a bright 4.5-inch screen, and 5-MP camera, specs we would expect in the entry-level range. The price of the Lumia 635 at launch was $189, making the promotional offer from Metro PCS pretty compelling.

The Windows Phone 8.1 update contains so many enhancements that Microsoft could have easily called it Windows Phone 9. New features include the Halo-inspired Cortana digital assistant, a completely revamped Action and Notification Center, Swype-like input for the Word Flow keyboard, and Internet Explorer 11.

T-Mobile has yet to offer an upfront price for the Lumia 635, but don’t expect it to be much lower than the 24-month cost of $168.

Overall, Windows Phone hasn’t made much of a dent thus far, commanding a mere 3.5 percent worldwide marketshare (according to IDC). But Microsoft could gain some momentum in the low end of the market with the Lumia 635.

Sam is a former penguin trainer and archery instructor who dabbles in esports and has lived on three different continents. If you have some comments on new tech or the best noodle spots in NYC, drop a line @SamRutherford.